Inuvember 2018
by madmonnette
Summary: A collection of drabbles from the Inuvmeber 2018 calendar. I own nothing. I am borrowing the fam for personal pleasure until I you pry them out of my cold, dead hands. (Please don't). Rated M for pottymouth and perhaps adult situations? Unknown.
1. Inuyasha & Kagome feat Kagome & Inuyasha

Inuyasha. Such a beautiful boy. Or was he a man? They had never discussed his age, or demon aging. She had no idea how old he was. Whenever she asked about it, he changed the topic or just stayed silent until she gave up and asked a different one. Her theory was that he hated talking about anything that made it obvious he wasn't human. But once he took his fire rat off, or more like she dragged it off in an attempt to bandage him, that confident man turned into a skinny brat. Which is why she always brought ramen for him. And why she always let him eat as much as he wanted. Except from Shippo's plate. She knew that she didn't have the weight to lose when she gave him some of her portions, but she wanted him to look like her. Like he had someone who loved him. Who cooked for him. Who cared for his well-being. But his demon metabolism sped ahead of whatever she gave him. He just would not fill out. And it frustrated her to no end. She felt like she was failing him. There was no way he could possibly know the effect his metabolism had on her psyche. And she never wanted him to. It wasn't something he could control. And she didn't want to add another burden to his soul. Every tear she shed, every scrape she swore over, every scar she accumulated was a stone weighing down his heart. No matter how much she yelled at him to protect himself better as she bandaged wounds that would kill a human (twice), he just yelled at her that he wouldn't ever let harm come to her. She yelled at him that that promise was stupid. She told him that she was always going to bleed and hurt. He didn't necessarily have to know that she was talking about her period, but it did rile him up. And she loved seeing light and determination in his eyes. She wasn't such a fan of the not-so-subtle sniffing around her person, always trying to make sure that she wasn't secretly injured. Oh who was she kidding. It was the primary way he showed affection and she absolutely loved it. She pretended not to notice. She even pretended she was cramping a muscle sometimes when he was sniffing around. It always lead to an early end to the day. Or at least a few almost kind words.

She was sad that she didn't know a lot about the past of the person she felt closest to in either era. She knew his mother was a princess named Izayoi. She knew his father was a powerful demon lord, mostly because she had been to hid grave. And Miyouga liked to talk. But Inuyasha only said that his old man was 'good' and 'loving.' And he only admitted that quietly and VERY privately. And only once. She knew nothing about how long he had with either parent. Or what, if anything, led to him hating Sesshomaru. But she knew him. She knew how he showed concern, compassion, love, fear, trust, guilt, sadness, and hope. She could tell his mood from the set of his shoulders or the crook of his brow. She knew when to keep Shippo away from him, and when to let them be demons who needed to play and chase each other around. He never said anything and neither did she. But he knew she knew him that well. She knew it unnerved him. But she also knew that it comforted him to have someone that he didn't have to talk to if he didn't want to. He had faith that she would take care of him, as best as she could. And she could tell he was grateful. And she knew that he loved her, just as he loved the rest of his pack. And she knew that she would be there for him as long as she could, whether he wanted her to or not. She knew that she wasn't the love of his life, but she knew that he would always protect her and lean on her and love her the best he could.

And she was mostly right.

* * *

Kagome. Such a strong, courageous, beautiful young woman. He would never say it to her face. He was too scared. He was too scarred. His father's death had scarred him. His mother's death had scarred him. Sesshomaru's refusal to help him survive in the world, or even teach him as their father never had a chance to, had scarred him. Had almost killed him. But he had figured it out. His inu instincts and demon strength were too strong to allow him to die. Kikyo. Kikyo had done quite the number on him. She had scarred him so badly that during his sleep, he had determined that no other would ever have to power to scar him again. But then she came. She woke him up from the pain, the darkness, the memories, the prison of Kikyo's making. And this stupid, wonderful, clumsy, cheerful girl introduced him to things he had been missing for decades, with or without counting the magical imprisonment. From the moment she met him, she had showed him interest, compassion, curiousity, faith, confusion, fear, joy, anger, determination, and friendship. And that was only in the first 48 hours. The girl gave him whiplash. But she also gave him family. She gave him love. She showed him that the world wasn't as awful as he knew it to be.

So he determined that she would never see the world he did. Every time he smelled hate or discrimination or perversion or harmful intentions, he blocked her from it. He blocked her from his world. He tried his hardest to keep her from it. But it bled through sometimes. Causing her to bleed. Whether from her kind heart or her fragile body. And he took every tear and every sob and every drop of blood as personal failures. And he always wanted to hunt down who hurt her. And it hurt him most when he realized that he was the reason for her tears. He did not let himself love her the way he wanted to. He could not. He wouldn't allow another scar. Another rejection. Another distraught mind or broken heart. He saw how she loved him. She fed him. She cared for him. She bandaged him. She cried over his wounds. Just like any mother would. And he couldn't lose another mother.

Well. He was mostly right.


	2. Shippou

Shippou. Oh how she loved him. She'd always had a mothering instinct. And she never hid it with him. She saw a fox kit who was orphaned overnight, because of her best intentions no less. So she let herself mother him to her heart's content. But she was so afraid of hurting him. She was afraid of not giving the growing demon the training and knowledge he needed to live among his own if he wanted to. But she watched as Inuyasha took over those responsibilities. She didn't know if Shippou was getting everything he needed, but having help made her feel better about the situation. Based on what she knew, Inuyasha had figured out everything a demon needed to know based on instinct, common sense, observation, and fighting for survival. It made her extremely sad to think about it that way, but she figured that if Inuyasha turned out okay then, between the both of them, Shippou would too. She watched, with love and a smile as her precious kit went through every day and every battle doing his best, learning, and getting stronger. She watched him play with human children so gently that she had a hard time remember that he was a demon who had seen many battles against Naraku's strength and devastating illusions and come through them stronger and more prepared for the next one. She praised him when he developed a new trick and she pointed out how proud she was to see his old ones getting smoother and more believable. She worked hard to put her own troubling thoughts aside on some days and give Shippou the attention he needed. And seeing him with Inuyasha sometimes made her forget how much he didn't love her. She saw them as a family. Her and Inuyasha and their fox kit. She watched Inuyasha teach him how to skin animals he had hunted and caught. Her heart filled with joy when Inuyasha answered Shippou's questions about anything and everything, sometimes even patiently whenever he was in the mood to. And the forests and plains of Japan rang with her laughter as she watched them tumble and play, each of them getting one over on the other. She loved pretending that they were a family. She knew that pack was family and that just made the illusion more real.

* * *

Shippou. That stupid, annoying brat. He took all of Kagome's time, kindness, and smiles. Especially when he had first joined them. It was the first time he realized that he hated sharing Kagome. Absolutely hated it. But he saw something in Shippou that he despised. Something that unnerved him and pissed him off and made him want to slash and break and punch things. He saw himself. He saw a small demon that no one took seriously, especially in the demon world. He saw a lost, scared soul shivering in the cold shadow of a cruel and unforgiving world. And he couldn't stand that. He wouldn't be Sesshomaru to this fox kit. And seeing how much Kagome loved him and watching her smile come quickly and her laughter come easily made him realize how valuable this kit was. He had a chance to do good here and dammit he wasn't going to leave the kit to suffer like he had. He had a chance to teach someone. He had a chance to be the person he always wished he had. So he did. He taught the kit how to fish and hunt and prepare his catches. He encouraged his passions and powers. He thought they were all stupid and he tried to teach him cooler things, but he soon gave that up. Well, mostly anyway. He had seen mama Higurashi encourage Souta and Kagome with things that made her disgusted or scared. So he relented. He helped Kagome shop for good toys for Shippou. Things that would help the young demon grow and develop. He indulged in play time and realized how good it was. For both of them. He took the annoying kit and made him pack. Made him family. And watching Kagome watch them with that beautiful smile on her face made him realize how important family was. It made him remember the love and joy he felt when his parents were both alive. He remembered playing and drawing and hunting with them. He remembered laughter and hide and seek and games and warmth and love. So he indulged himself. He would imagine that Shippou really was his son. That Kagome was his wife. That they had a home in a village where they were welcomed and accepted. That they had a free day to play and read and collect herbs and do some necessary home stuff. He had no idea what that was. But pretending they were doing it took him away from Naraku and Kikyo. He just enjoyed the time he had to spend with his beautiful wife and their joyous son. It helped that they were pack and pack was family. And sometimes, the illusion didn't feel too far from the truth.


	3. Miroku and Sango

When Miroku and Sango had joined their pack, she had never felt more safe and loved. Their presence gave her the support system she needed to survive day to day in an unfamiliar world with a boy she tried to force herself not to love and a child to care for. They made everything feel like she was in the closest knit family you could get. They helped with the homesickness. They helped with the occasional loneliness. They helped with the many arguments between her and Inuyasha. They supported her studies and tried to occupy Inuyasha so she could focus on them. They were great people and she was glad to have them in her life.

Of course, she'd been extremely wary of Miroku at first. Why wouldn't she be? He had kidnapped her, stolen her jewel shards and bike, and felt her up. After the first beating from Inuyasha, the womanizing had stopped. And after Sango had joined them, she gradually stopped feeling his eyes on her. Not that he'd had much of a chance to ogle her, Inuyasha had seen to that. She supposed she was most grateful to Miroku for making her feel like Inuyasha wanted no other's eyes on her but his. Even if she'd never felt Inuyasha's eyes on her, she pretended he was just exerting self-control. She only pretended like that on the bad days. The days when she had no idea how she could keep living this double life. The days where she was so exhausted she didn't how to continue on. The days where she was so lovesick it almost made her physically sick. Miroku was able to pick up on it a lot. And he would provoke Inuyasha or Sango or both to get a rise out of Inuyasha. It always worked. Inuyasha would protect her. She would feel loved. And she would smile again.

Sango was Kami sent. There wasn't much in the way of gossip, but their girl time helped her vent about her feelings and frustrations and fears. She felt bad about ranting about such seemingly trivial things when Sango no longer had a home and her brother was a mindless puppet of Naraku. She mentioned it once and told Sango to tell her to shut up if she needed to. Sango had only given her a small smile and told her that she was grateful for the distraction. She had still felt guilty about being shallow and self-centered but Sango mentioned that angry gossip sessions made her feel like she hadn't lost her entire village and brother. That she was still there bathing with her friends near the village talking about the exact same things. That had shut her up. And made her feel loads better. And also ridiculously sad. But she was grateful that she could do something to help her friend. A friend who cared so much and listened so well and watched her back as they worked together to bring down enemy after enemy. A friend who had grown so much and lost even more. She just hugged her friend and they cried together, mourning the loss of innocent and good men and women and children and vowing that they would be avenged in Naraku's death.

* * *

He for sure hadn't wanted Miroku in his pack. He thought he was trouble. And a rival male. Even if he wouldn't let himself have Kagome, Miroku sure wasn't gonna have her. No way in hell. So he fought the idea. Hard. But Kagome had won him over. Of course she had. And he had kind of saved their asses with the ink painter and a few times since then. Gradually he came to accept and even be grateful for the monk's presence. Their first time against the saimyoushou had illustrated exactly how strong the man's will and constitution were. That little display had won Miroku his respect, which was not easy to do. But all of his pack had earned it. And with that respect came loyalty. It didn't matter that he didn't like it or that Miroku might not either, he trusted Miroku to protect him, his not-but-should-be mate and his not-but-should-be son. And that's all that mattered.

He felt better about Sango right from the get-go. Kagome had softened his heart too much. But Sango was an exceptional fighter and made it easier for him to protect Kagome. She helped protect Shippou and she worked extremely well with the monk. The subtle attraction he smelled on Sango and Miroku for each other made him worry much less about the monk and his advances on Kagome. Sango's fighting skills, honour, and loyalty to friends, family, and cause made her his beta immediately. Out of everyone besides Kagome, he trusted her to have his back the most. And probably most importantly, the friendship she gave Kagome was invaluable. She brought an eager and instant smile to Kagome's face, much like the one she'd shown up in the Feudal Era with. Her smile had started fading a bit as they had journeyed and fought on, learning more about the past and wondering about the future. But Sango's introduction to the pack made Kagome so happy. And he couldn't deny her that, just as he couldn't reject the support. Or another lost soul.

Even if, as he'd already learned, he really hated sharing her.


	4. The Importance of Family

It was a normal day in the Sengoku Jidai. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except Inuyasha. He was being… nice. And it was starting to freak everyone out.

Kagome was the first to notice. He had actually smiled back at her when she woke up and sleepily grinned at him when she saw him in her line of sight. He was usually hunting or brooding while everyone woke up. Or storming around making a ruckus trying to rouse them. He had already built the fire back up and was roasting some rabbits for them. And he was letting Shippo help. When Shippo noticed she was awake, he bounded over to her.

"Ma-Kagome! Inuyasha let me hunt with him! We caught a rabbit for everyone! I even caught two myself! Inuyasha promised to have one, will you have the other one? Please Kagome?"

Kagome blinked slowly, trying to take all the new and slightly suprising information into her half-awake brain as Shippo stared at her pleadingly. Her eyes went straight to Inuyasha. Inuyasha. Who was looking at the fox kit as if he was proud of the little one. Kagome grinned back at Shippo and held her arms out to him, an invitation he quickly accepted. "Of course, Shippo. It would be my pleasure! I can't wait to eat your catch!" Shippo beamed at her and then scampered back to the fire to make sure his catches didn't burn.

Miroku and Sango woke up soon after the smell of almost finished rabbit and rice. Everyone enjoyed their breakfast, and Kagome noticed how much encouragement Inuyasha gave Shippo as they prepared and ate breakfast. Her heart warmed at the sight of Inuyasha acting like the father the kit had lost. But then she wondered. _'Wait. What?'_

* * *

Sango was the next to notice. They were fighting a demon. It wasn't very strong. It didn't even have a jewel shard. It just wanted theirs. Before she could even draw her weapon, Inuyasha had lazily looked at Kagome with confidence and, dare she say love, in his eyes and told her it was all hers. Then he said something totally shocking.

"You got this, Kagome. I believe in you!"

Sango froze as she processed Inuyasha's words. And then Kagome took the demon out with one arrow. She would have stayed that way had Miroku not chosen that moment to grab her ass. When she turned around from smacking him, Kagome was doing a victory dance and Inuyasha was staring at her with pride in his gaze. And a relaxed posture. Then Kagome ran straight for him and he caught her and lifted her up effortlessly with the biggest grin Sango had ever seen, except for Kagome's, as the miko pumped her fists in the air whooping in joy. When she looked down at Inuyasha, that victorious grin still splitting her face in two, Sango watched as Inuyasha lowered her and they hugged each other simultaneously. The display made Sango's heart warm and mind question what the hell was going on.

* * *

Shippo noticed when he played a minor trick on Inuyasha. Just one that he would have done for practice with his father, but they usually annoyed Inuyasha to no end. But this time, Inuyasha just laughed and playfully chased Shippo around as he set off trick after toy. Sango looked on confused, while Kagome laughed and participated in the shenanigans. When Shippo flopped down exhausted, Inuyasha decided it was time to camp for the night.

"Besides, Kagome. Didn't Kaede say you should meditate to practice your spiritual powers?"

Kagome looked dumbfounded. "Yeah, um, she did. Miroku? Would you like to help me?"

Shippo watched as his surrogate mother went to the edge of the clearing and took instructions from Miroku, who seemed non-plussed by everything that day. It was then that Shippo got suspicious. However, those suspicions took a back seat to Inuyasha's invitation to have a more in-depth tracking and hunting lesson.

* * *

Of course, Miroku was in on it the whole time. He had woken in the middle of the night to see a tense and, dare he say, half-frightened half-demon staring at Shippo and Kagome cuddled together in her sleeping bag. He looked troubled, confused and lost. Miroku debated on whether or not to intervene, wondering if he would help or hurt – himself or his own person of course. He doubted he could get through Inuyasha's thick skull or skin to help or hurt anything.

"Just say it is what you want to say, bozo."

Miroku was shocked out of his decision-making by Inuyasha's despondent tone. He sighed and got up from his spot on the ground, moving towards Inuyasha, thoroughly intrigued.

"What happened, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha was silent for so long Miroku thought he either wouldn't answer or couldn't.

"They were all there." Inuyasha paused, gathering himself. "I didn't know who they were. I went to threaten them, but my sword was gone. Then I saw them. My parents. And I looked closer at everyone else. There was a monk with a beautiful woman, a taijiya man and woman, a pair of kitsune, and a human man."

Miroku sat in stunned silence. Had Inuyasha visited some sort of spirit world? What did they want with him?

"The showed me all sort of things. The showed me what made every one of you who you are. They showed me what could have happened, had I never helped any of you. They showed me what could happen if I continued the way I am. If I continue to push her away. If I try and hold to promises that mean nothing. Everyone was so miserable." Inuyasha's voice halted. "I was miserable. And she cried. She cried all the time. And Shippou. He hated me so much."

Inuyasha looked at him and Miroku was stunned to see the tears in his eyes. "What did your parents say?"

Inuyasha let out a choked laugh and went back to look at Kagome and Shippou. "They said that if I let her go, they would kick my ass for all of eternity." Kagome shifted restlessly, her hair falling over her face. Miroku watched as Inuyasha tenderly, lovingly brushed the hair back. He watched Kagome nestle into Inuyasha's palm, take a deep breath and settle back down again. And he watched as Inuyasha paused another moment, gathering himself by lightly resting his palm on the cheek of the priestess they all hoped he chose to live for.

"They love her, of course they do. I always knew mom would. She's just like her, ya know. Kind, compassionate, caring," here he snorted, "cries over me way to easily. The world has never been kind and they never will. And it hurts them too much. But they extended the same warning for Shippou as well. They told me they were proud of me. Proud of the pack I had found. Proud of the woman and child who loved and accepted me with their whole hearts and souls. They told me that promises made in grief and under duress meant next to nothing. Especially when that promise could harm your family. That honor means nothing when your family is alone and in pain without you." Inuyasha laughed mirthlessly. "I guess I knew that all along. But it took hearing it to get it to click."

Miroku paused, absorbing all this new information/ "So what will you do, Inuyasha?"

Miroku stared as a true smile lit Inuyasha's face. "I'm going to love them the best I can. Be worthy of being a father and mate. Then when all this is over, I'll ask them to stay with me. Forever. And pray the Kami see fit to make this wretched hanyou happy for the second time in his life."

Miroku nodded jerkily, touched by his sincerity. "I know Lady Kagome and Shippou will love your efforts. I'm sure it won't take too much convincing. I think the Kami and Buddha will smile upon you in your endeavours." Another important question came to mind, but Miroku hesitated to ask it. "Will you tell her you love her?"

Here Inuyasha faltered. "Not yet. Not because I don't want to," he hurried to explain. "I just don't know how. I'll figure it out. Somehow. For now I'll just do my best to show her."

Miroku smiled at the enlightened hanyou. Then grew serious again. "I imagine you will need to do the same with Lady Kikyou."

Inuyasha nodded himself, frowning. "Yeah. Not sure what's gonna happen there. Something tells me she won't survive this battle. And that she's fine with that. But she doesn't matter as much as they do."

Miroku grinned widely at the hanyou's bold declarations. "Then I wish you happiness my friend. Try not to think too loudly, I wish to sleep some more." Miroku turned to return to his pallet.

"Oi, monk." Miroku turned. "Thanks for listening. And your mom. She told me." Inuyasha took a deep breath and met Miroku's eyes. "She told me that she's sorry she couldn't be stronger for you. She's sorry she left you and your father. But she's so glad that she gave her life for yours. She said she's proud of you. Proud of your friends. Proud of the work you've done. And she loves Sango. She said that if you don't hold on to her you'll regret it the rest of your life. Your father just nodded along. They looked like they hadn't left each other's arms since they were reunited. They looked happy."

Miroku could feel the tears in his eyes. "Father was able to join mother then? I'm glad. They deserved to be happy together again." He took a steadying breath, looking up at the sky. "Thank you, Inuyasha. I hope we all find the happiness we deserve."

Inuyasha nodded. Both men turned back to their thoughts and their loves. They thought about what was, what is, and what could be. And they both determined that things were going to get so much better, even if they were getting worse. And they vowed to never let go.

* * *

Of course, Kirara saw and heard everything. Not like she could say anything. But she approved of the boys' wise decisions. It was about time they get their acts together. It had been getting hard to watch. Kirara just enjoyed the extra fish the hanyou got for her and purred contentedly in her suspicious, but charmed mistress' lap.


	5. Naraku

A/N: Ya know that swearing this rated for? Here it is! It's super short. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Kami how she hated Naraku! She'd never had much cause to hate anyone. She didn't see the point in such a strong negative emotion. But that monster was worthy of it. She didn't hate all of his incarnations. Kagura wasn't always evil, just when she was being forced to do Naraku's wicked bidding. Kanna was kind of cute. In a horror movie I'm-gonna-eat-your-soul way. And she wasn't all bad either. She just kind of seemed there. And also not there. It kind of confused her. She usually just shrugged it off. The infant was definitely creepy and when he became Hakudoshi, he was just evil. But he could be handled well enough.

Of course, that got her thinking. Why did she hate Naraku? It was kind of obvious. The deadly curse in Miroku's hand. Sango's slaughtered family and village. Not to mention what he was doing with her brother. And Inuyasha. They stage he set to take possession of the Sacred Jewel by trying to manipulate two people into killing each other and a good portion of the village. Thank the Kami that plan had failed magnificently and only Kikyou died. Not that her death was a good thing, but it could have been so much worse. But the damage had been done. He had done all of that because he was a sick twisted, well, bastard. She didn't like to use language like that. Inuyasha must be rubbing off on her. Not in the way she hoped, but still.

Of course, that got her to more thinking. Yes. Naraku truly was evil. But his incarnations weren't always. Did that mean something? She really didn't like hate. Was there something else she felt? Pity? Remorse? Hope? Maybe. Maybe she had a small hope that he would change or, at least, not get worse. So she was always devastated and horrified when he did another and somehow more unspeakable thing. She did pity him. He'd obviously never felt love in life. She wasn't a psychologist, but she would bet her next exam grade that he was definitely a psychopath, even before he had accepted the demons into his body. He had tried to kill and manipulate all of them so many times, but she still felt so bad for him. She wished she could go back in time and show him love. Try and turn him from the path of evil. But she knew there was no way to save someone like that, even though she desperately wanted to try. Nevertheless, her arrows flew straight at the destroyer of lives whose death would save Miroku and all of Japan.

* * *

That rotten, scheming, no good, son of a bitch bastard. Every time Naraku killed another innocent, or tried to trick them or trap them, he went into a blind rage. This man had killed a woman he loved. Had tried to kill the woman he loved with all his heart. Kidnapped her with evil and despicable intentions to use her for himself or against him and his pack. Had tried to kill his son and the rest of his pack many times over. Emotionally and psychologically picked them apart and tried to weaken them. He was proud of his pack for being so strong in the face of such evil. He could see that Kagome warred with her feelings. He got that. She was a compassionate person. She didn't like hate or violence. This whole ordeal was tearing her apart. That's why he hated Naraku the most. He loved Kagome's smile and Naraku was ripping it away piece by piece. So he tried to replace it. He tried to get stronger. He tried to be better for her. So that sooner, rather than later, she could smile freely and often with all the love and joy he could provide for her and their son.

But first he needed to destroy Naraku.

Rotten scheming, no good, son of a bitch bastard.


	6. Kikyo

Kikyo. She knew it was kind of expected of her, but she couldn't bring herself to hate the woman. First off, part of her own soul was inhabiting that clay body so it felt too much like self-loathing. She already beat herself up often enough for all the mistakes she made, that was just a bit too much to add to the pile and retain her sanity. Also the clay thing. Could she really hate someone who was holding onto life with a scrap of soul, a lot of anger, and a barely functional body made of dirt and ashes? No. She could not. Sure, Kikyo had tried to kill her but honestly at this point, who outside of her pack hadn't? Okay, fine Kouga hadn't and the wolves had mostly behaved themselves around her but still. The point was, Kikyo was just another angry soul wandering around searching for something. And that anger made her mean to anyone who wasn't a human child or kind or needy villager or injured soldier. She was really only mean to those who got in her way. She could tell at that point that even Inuyasha didn't recognize her anymore.

But as time went on, and especially after she had purified Kikyo after that business on Mount Hakurei, Kikyo seemed to let go of that anger. Well some of it. Destroying Naraku became more about fulfilling her duty than taking revenge. Maybe Kikyo had lost sight of the big picture in the beginning. Maybe Kikyo hadn't even wanted to see the big picture. Maybe she had done something while she was purifying Kikyo. Well that was big of her to think of herself. Did she think she had healed Kikyo's soul? Actually, yeah a little bit. Very deep down. And _that_ felt a bit too much like narcissism. But Kikyo had since acted like a human being, not an undead creature. And for some reason, maybe because of the way Inuyasha had been acting recently, she was far less jealous of Kikyo than she used to be. And wasn't that just the strangest thing?

* * *

He thought Kikyo was avoiding him. Actually, he was pretty sure of it. The woman either knew of his revelations or she was avoiding talking about her death. Last time she'd just said something like trying to keep the jewel shards apart. Sounded pretty much like bull shit but if she needed space he would give it to her. He didn't need to rush this. He didn't know how much heart she had left, but he wanted to be kind and give her time to deal with what she was dealing with and then maybe break her heart. Although he didn't think that would happen. He expected her to take it well. She wasn't the same Kikyo from when she woke up.

Between settling her soul and her emotions while here on earth again and Kagome's healing after Mount Hakurei, he fully believed she was as close to her old self as she could get in a clay body with a partial soul. He didn't deny that it hurt to think about a woman he once loved like that, but it was true. And truth was a part of what he was trying to do with his family and his pack. Not too much truth and not all at once, though. If he had turned into a different man literally over night, they would have thought he was possessed or cursed. That certainly didn't help things. But the better he got with his compassion and his words, the more he actually understood Kikyo, Kagome and their situation. It was a difficult thought process and had taken him a while to figure out, but he had done it. Mostly. Kikyo needed space to determine her final moves. He would say goodbye when the time was right. And then they would defeat Naraku. And then he would give Kagome the kiss of a lifetime. He hoped. He'd never really done much of that and he sure wasn't going to try and practice now. But still. He was glad to see the Kikyo he had known and loved and he took joy in the good things she did while she was wrapping up loose ends. He would miss her when she was gone but in truth, she already was. And he was already missing her less and less. And wasn't that the most normal thing in the world?


	7. The Band of Seven

A/N: I worked a 12 hour shift yesterday so I was super wiped when I got home. I barely had the energy to do my prelab. So I figured today would be just as good to post as any. This was super fun to write and I'm loving all these prompts! Enjoy! (Hopefully I can do today's too!)

* * *

The whole Mukotsu, Renkotsu, Ginkotsu poison, fire and gunpowder thing came seriously close to killing her. It came seriously close to killing Sango and Miroku too. Way too close, to be perfectly honest. She had never felt more powerless than when she was paralyzed under a strange man's poison and then almost burned alive as her son desperately tried to hold the fire back until Inuyasha could get there. She was in and out during that part, but Shippou's bravery gave her strength and something to hold on to. It was one of Naraku's more devious plots. And it had almost worked. Thank the Kami for Myouga's quick thinking and Inuyasha's determination to see them safe. She was regaining consciousness when Inuyasha had picked her up and cradled her still paralyzed body in his arms. She felt him tremble in fear and grief. She heard his whispered plea that she come back to him. She felt a tear drip onto her face. She cracked open her eyes and saw him biting his lip, clearly trying to keep from crying out. She had summoned every last ounce of strength she had to whisper his name. It came out as a breath, but she felt him still. Then she asked him to loosen his grip so she could breathe. Her lungs were still trying to figure that part out and the squeezing, as nice as it felt, wasn't helping. She felt bereft when he let her go and set her down gently. She was awake now but still unable to move. She longed to be back in his arms. But when Shippou said he was crying, and when he turned around and she witnessed the tears for herself, It was all the validation she needed to know that being apart from her was too hard, but he was too shy to keep holding her.

That night, he had tried to tuck her into her sleeping bag, but she wasn't having it. She told him that she didn't feel safe on the ground. Not exactly a lie. Not exactly the whole truth. She always felt safest in his arms. He knew what she wanted before she could ask. Maybe he wanted it too. He wrapped her up in her sleeping bag and then took her in his arms, leaping to a branch that would support both of their weights. He held her close, nose wandering around her head and shoulders until she was almost asleep. A scampering sound jolted her awake. But it was only Shippou. The day's events had clearly traumatized the poor kit and he wanted the comfort and security of his mom and the man who was acting more and more like a father each day. He snuggled himself in between the both of them, her pajamas in one fist and Inuyasha's fire rat in the other. They relaxed to the deep, dare she say, purr that reverberated in Inuyasha's chest. The little family stayed like that until well after sunrise, their protector holding them securely in his strength and affection.

* * *

She almost died. She was almost taken from him. Mukotsu never had a chance to get too far with her. The bastard was dead as soon as he laid a finger on her. He hated that Sesshomaru had done him in, but it had allowed him to focus on getting them all out of there. But the fake monk with more poison and a dead fire, it still irked him that he was wandering around still alive. But he had his priorities. He had to take care of his family and his pack. Revenge could wait until they were safe and alive and well again. When he thought she was dead, his demon blood was at the forefront, ready to tear into everyone who had threatened his pack and taken them away from him. He prayed to the Kami to send her back to him. To not let the inevitable be true. But then she had exhaled. And that exhale sounded like his name. He froze. Until her request to loosen his grip made him realize he was making things worse and she needed to breathe. She needed to breathe if he wanted her to live. So he distanced himself from her. Giving her space to breathe and exist while he gathered himself. The tears came without his permission. They didn't surprise him. And the warmth in Kagome's eyes when she saw them made him happy they were there. This woman was doing things to him that made him feel so much more than he ever expected.

He had tried to give her space to sleep and recover. He was overjoyed that she was having none of it. He recognized her need to be close to him. They had almost been separated forever, he was struggling too. He offered no protest or words as he gathered her up and kept her close to him, far above the ground. He took in her beautiful, wonderful scent. It was still tainted with sickness and pain, but it got fainter the longer he held her. He loved the scent of happiness and life on her. It fit her perfectly. And the longer she was in his arms, the stronger the scent grew. After a while, Shippou had knocked on the tree, asking if he could come up. He knocked back yes. Of course he would, he wanted his son there too. When her heart started racing, he knew he should have warned her. A light tint of fear tainted her scent, but as soon as she saw their son, it became overpowered with love and affection and happiness. He smiled in the darkness as the kit grabbed onto both of them and tried to settle. He let out a soothing grumble to calm both kit and woman and lull them to sleep. He smiled at them as their breathing evened out and they snuggled closer together and to him. He kept up his grumble all night as he watched over them and held them close, letting them sleep deeply in the safety and security and love of his arms.


	8. Jinenji

She didn't have a lot to say here. She didn't see what there was to say. She just loved Jinenji. Meeting him was a highlight of, well, that particular trip. Their friends were in trouble and needed medicine and then Inuyasha had a chance to help out a lonely hanyou. She got to see a softer side of him. A stronger side of him. A bittersweet side of him. Watching him protect and encourage Jinenji made her realize how hard he had it as a child. She saw in his eyes and actions that he was trying to save Jinenji the hardship he'd suffered. She watched him encourage violence to whip the villagers into respecting him. She watched his surprise when kindness went further than threats and strength ever could. She had known that. But watching him learn it, was beautiful and priceless. The surprise in his eyes told her a lot while the strain in his voice told her everything, She didn't have much to say. She just wanted to listen to him and support him. However he wanted to move forward.

* * *

He was shocked. Honestly shocked by Kagome. Every glance she took, every word she uttered, every move she made was utterly shocking to him. He didn't understand how a person could be so open and loving. She took him in and loved him. She took Shippou in and mothered him. She took Miroku in and lifted his spirits. She took Sango in and supported her mental and physical health. Did she just take in strays? Those with nowhere to go? Those who needed love and support? He wanted to be angry. He wanted to say 'fuck you I don't need your pity!' But it wasn't pity and he did need her desperately. It was unconditional love. Something they all craved in their lives. And no one more than Jinenji. Every one of his pack had never had unconditional love outside of their family. And receiving it from someone so obviously and so readily – well it jolted all of them into awareness. It made them realize what they had been missing. And it made them cling to her and love her in return, no matter what they felt on a shallow, reactional level.

He was sure the only reason Jinenji didn't come with them was because he still had family. And Naraku had left him alone. Probably thought he was too weak. But he was grateful Jinenji didn't have to handle all of this. Jinenji was sensitive and kind and he wanted to preserve that for as long as possible. Jinenji still had a home. And he was genuinely jealous of that. But he watched Kagome meet Jinenji. And he was amazed by her lack of surprise or judgement at his appearance or his hanyou status. He was still trying to figure out all her smells and nuances but the only thing he smelled on her was happiness and anger. But he was quickly able to tell that she was furious at the villagers in relation to Jinenji's scars. He knew that Kagome had bandaged him up a few times. She'd seen the faintest outline of scars - if she could see them at all. She knew that his skin had to be hit multiple times or extremely deeply to scar him. She hadn't realized by then that all demons and half-demons were different. Jinenji's skin wasn't as thick as his. Literally, not metaphorically. Literally, Jinenji's skin was soft and didn't heal as fast as his and it kept its marks. They saw stretch marks and scars and callouses all over Jinenji. But Kagome didn't seem to care. She treated him as if he was a lord or a headman or a 'pretty' hanyou. She treated him like a full human. She treated him with kindness, despite his scars and heritage.

Metaphorically though, Jinenji's skin was a rock wall. One wrong word to _him_ , and he was off like a fucking canon. But nothing got through to Jinenji. No words and no rejections got him to lash out. He just kept on weeding his garden. Which kind of got his goat. How was any hanyou to gain any respect or space in this world without strength, power and intimidation? But Jinenji wasn't trying to be accepted by demons. And he only wanted to be helpful to those around him. He was truly baffled. And after the battle with the demon that was _actually_ eating the villagers, Jinenji had earned respect with his kindness and compassion. The show of strength Jinenji displayed defending his village definitely helped. But Jinenji gave them herbs and helped them heal. And he learned that there was more than one way to earn respect. There was more than one way to earn love. There was more than one way to earn friendship. And he learned all that through Kagome. Kagome taught him more than he ever thought possible. Kagome showed him love and friendship and acceptance and faith and pride in self and friends. And not just by showing it to him. She showed him all this by example and demonstration. She gave it away freely. And Jinenji helped him see everything Kagome had to offer in its entirety. It was a lot to take in all at once. But he was so glad he did.

And of course, a few months later, he had a dream telling him to never, ever let her go. And by that point, he was ready to accept that he needed her to not just survive in the world, but live in it.


End file.
